Oxidative stress is caused by a higher production of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species or a decrease in endogenous protective antioxidative capacity. Oxidative stress has been related to various diseases and aging, and it has been found to occur in all types of critical illnesses. See, e.g., Veglia et al., Biomarkers, 11(6): 562-573 (2006); Roth et al., Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 7:161-168 (2004); U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,519 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0142613. Several investigations have shown a close association between the oxidative status of a critically ill patient and the patient's outcome. See Roth et al., Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 7:161-168 (2004).
Oxidative stress in patients has been evaluated by measuring various individual markers. See, e.g., Veglia et al., Biomarkers, 11(6): 562-573 (2006); Roth et al., Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 7:161-168 (2004); U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,519 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0142613. However, such measurements are often unreliable and provide conflicting and variable measurements of the oxidative status of a patient. See Veglia et al., Biomarkers, 11(6): 562-573 (2006); Roth et al., Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 7:161-168 (2004). The measurement of multiple markers which are then used to provide a score or other assessment of the overall oxidative status of a patient has been developed to overcome the problems of using measurements of single markers. See Veglia et al., Biomarkers, 11(6): 562-573 (2006); Roth et al., Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 7:161-168 (2004). Although such approaches are more reliable and sensitive than measurements of a single marker, they are complex and time consuming. Thus, there is a need for a simpler and faster method for reliably measuring the overall oxidative status of a patient.